Honeycomb core construction for panels

ABSTRACT

A honeycomb core for fabricated metal panels. Core is formed of channels having openings which interfit with similar reversed channels. Facing sheets have face-to-face contact with webs of channels. Panel has continuous edge-to-edge passages both lengthwise and crosswise.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Peter Hotz Wilkinsburg Borough, Pa.654,722

July 20, 1967 Nov. 30, 1971 United States Steel Corporation [21 Appl.No. [22] Filed [45] Patented [73] Assignee [54] HONEYCOMB CORECONSTRUCTION FOR PANELS 2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 161/68, 29/160, 52/615, 52/668, 174/72 A [51] lnt.Cl 1332b3/12 [50] Field ofSearch 156/197,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,024.001 4/1912 Forsyth52/668 1,620,846 3/1927 Wells 52/667 X 1,908,864 5/1933 Reid 161/69 X2,234,517 3/1941 Coffman.... 161/113 1,539,397 5/1925 Matravers 35/481,999,361 4/1935 James et a1. 229/42 2,029,679 2/1936 Seving et a1...161/139 X 2,960,197 11/1960 Langhans 52/615 3,044,586 7/1962 -Cassels52/668 3,214,212 10/1965 Horton 161/115X Primary Examiner-John T.Goolkasian Assistant Examiner-Henry F. Epstein Atlorne vWalter P. WoodABSTRACT: A honeycomb core for fabricated metal panels. Core is formedof channels having openings which interfit with similar reversedchannels. Facing sheets have face-to-face contact with webs of channelsPanel has continuous edge-toedge passages both lengthwise and crosswise.

PATENTEU unvso I971 Attorney HONEYCOMB CORE CONSTRUCTION FOR PANELS Thisinvention relates to a fabricated metal panel which has an improvedhoneycomb core construction.

A conventional honeycomb core is made from strips of metal or likebonded and expanded to form hexagonal or rectangular cells. Flat facingsheets are bonded to each side of the core to form a sandwich. The bondmust be effected between flat sheets and the edges of the core material,and it is difficult to achieve a good bond under such conditions.Another disadvantage is that a panel constructed with this type of corehas no passages from edge to edge, as are needed for running pipes orelectric wiring through the panel.

An object of my invention is to provide a fabricated panel, thehoneycomb core of which is constructed in a way to overcome theforegoing difficulties; that is, to achieve face-to-face bonds betweenthe core and the facing sheets and to furnish continuous passagesedge-to-edge both lengthwise and crosswise of the panel.

A further object is to provide an improved honeycomb core whichcomprises a plurality of interfitting channels preferably formed bycutting and folding'sheets of metal foil or the like.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank cut in preparation for forming one ofthe channels embodied in the core;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a channel formed from the blank shown inFIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a panel which has a core madeup of channels like that shown in FIG. 2.

As FIG. 1 shows, I form each channel of my honeycomb core from anelongated blank of a length equal to the panel length or width. Thewidth X of the blank is 2% times the thickness of the core. I cut orpunch a series of transverse rectangular openings 12 in the blank,leaving uncut rectangular areas 13 and 14 along the sides of the blank,rectangular areas 15 at the ends, and rectangular strips 17 betweenopenings. The dimensions of each opening 12 and each strip 17 areone-fifth X by three-fifths X (with necessary tolerances to enable theparts to fit together as hereinafter described). The width of each uncutarea 13 and 14 along the sides is onefifth X. Conveniently the dimensionof each end area 15 lengthwise of the blank is one-tenth X, but thisdimension is not critical. Next I fold the blank along two lines 18 and19 parallel to the side edges of the blank to form channels 20, as FIG.2 shows. The distance between each fold line 18 and 19 and the nearerside edge of the blank is two-fifths X. Thus each channel has flanges 21and 22 of a height two-fifths X and a web 23 of a width one-fifth X.Next I interfit a plurality of lengthwise channels 200 and a pluralityof reversed crosswise channels b, as FIG. 3 shows. Finally I applyfacing sheets 24 and 25, either by welding or with a suitable adhesive.Conveniently the facing sheets and blanks can be of 0.002- inch thicksteel foil, although the thickness is not critical and I can use othermaterials.

A panel formed with my improved honeycomb core has face-to-face bondsbetween the webs 23 of the lengthwise channels 20a and the facing sheet24, and likewise between the web 23 of the crosswise channels 20b andthe facing sheet 25. The facing sheets lock the interfitted channelstogether. As viewed in FIG. 3, the upper half of each lengthwise channel20a is unobstructed throughout the length of the panel, and the lowerhalf of each crosswise channel 20b is unobstructed throughout the width.Hence the panel has continuous passages edge-to-edge both lengthwise andcrosswise available when needed, for example, to accommodate pipes orelectric wiring. It is apparent also that I could form channels of theconfiguration shown in FIG. 2 by other procedures than cutting andfolding a blank.

While I have shown and described only a single embodiment of myinvention, it is apparent that modifications may arise. Therefore, I donot wish to be limited to the disclosure set forth but only by the scopeof the appended claims.

I claim: 1. A fabricated panel comprising a core and facing sheets onopposite faces of said core;

said core being formed by interfitting a plurality of lengthwisechannels and a plurality of crosswise channels;

each of said lengthwise and each of said crosswise channels being of aconfiguration obtained by folding an elongated rectangular blank whichhas a width equal to five halfs of the core thickness and a length equalto the lengthwise dimension on the crosswise dimension respectively ofthe core;

each blank having prior to folding a series of unobstructed transverserectangular openings, leaving rectangular areas along the sides of theblank and rectangular strips -between said openings;

-the dimensions of each of said openings and each of said strips beingone-fifth the width of the blank by three-fifths the width of the blank;

the width of each of said areas being one-fifth the width of the blank;

each blank being folded along two lines parallel to the side edges informing said channels, the distance between each fold line and thenearer side edge being two-fifths the width of the blank, whereby saidchannels have flanges of a height each equal to two-fifths the width ofthe blank and a web of a width equal to one-fifth the width of theblank;

said crosswise channels being reversed with respect to said lengthwisechannels when the channels are interfitted; said facing sheets beingfixed to the webs of said channels and having face-to-face contact withsaid webs.

.2. A panel as defined in claim 1 having continuous lengthwise andcrosswise passages extending edge-to-edge.

2. A panel as defined in claim 1 having continuous lengthwise and crosswise passages extending edge-to-edge. 